


Dawn of the Wolf

by booktick



Category: The Last of Us
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-23 04:08:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10711878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booktick/pseuds/booktick
Summary: "I saw this, right before the outbreak.""You did? Does he totally gut her by the end?""Nobody gets gutted. It's a dumb teen movie.""Who dragged you to see it, then?""I don't know."





	Dawn of the Wolf

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own none of this franchise.
> 
> A/N: Just a fun flashback, to cleanse the soul and make everyone sad (hopefully). But, yeah, I hope it's not too confusing the back and forward bit in the fic.

* * *

 

Ellie pointed out at least three more posters for that same damn movie. He could still hear the way all those teenagers in the theater had sighed throughout each breath and roar, or whatever werewolves do. Sarah had been bouncy the whole night, even before they left the house for the theater. He didn't imagine the movie would be the sort of thing Ellie would like then again he didn't too much about Ellie's likes and dislikes. That was probably for the best, for getting herself into trouble and saying 'Hey, Joel, how about those hunters?' like it were a joke. By the time he let the thought ago, Ellie would have pointed out another poster.

He had tried to pretend he couldn't remember the movie but he does. He had remembered it for her, for Sar...it didn't matter anymore. No one watched films anymore, too busy trying to survive. Not that there were people going around setting up cameras or tapes or anything of the sort--not with the soldiers beating down doors and slamming faces into the ground. He couldn't remember the last thing he watched on television, last time he saw a working television. Probably about the outbreak, hell, it was all over what was left of television before everything went to shit completely. It was already shit by the time he and Tommy got to the safe zone, nothing here was safe. Nothin' in Boston, nothin' in the sewers--it was all the same.

The movie hadn't even been that bad, it was for teenagers and would be all fluffy and the like. He got all that information from all of the soccer games he went to, hearing the soccer moms go on and on about it. He knew what he was getting into by the time he had ordered the tickets for Sarah, after seeing how heartbroken she sounded talking to a friend on the phone about how lame it was that she had been sick the day it came out. That shit had tugged at his heart hard and he couldn't let it slide. It had taken him about fifteen or so minutes to find the ticket site that Sarah had bookmarked out of the kindness of her teenage heart, his bookmarks had been swarmed with job positions. The tickets hadn't been exactly cheap either, considering it was a highly sought movie from all of the parents that had teenagers.

But, man, if he didn't remember how excited she'd been when he got the tickets. Sarah had begged night and day to go see the movie even before he overheard her call. He had happily accompanied her for Part One of the movie. This had been when the whole...frenzy started for the damn thing. He had even bought her the merchandise, nice shirt to wear on the night they went. She asked him to wear one as well, and there had been Joel a week before ordering it on a two day delivery to make his kid happy. Sarah hadn't grinned that wide in ages and he felt that tickle behind his heart that reminded him why he did this. Sarah was a good kid, deserved more than he had given her. He would have traded the universe and more for that kid. Sarah was his pride...and the joy. But that wasn't there anymore.

"Come on, Dad!" Sarah had exclaimed, tugged on his hand.

And suddenly Joel was back at the movie theater on that Friday night. He had stood in a line longer than the state song. His hand being gripped by two smaller ones, that repeatedly tugged at his own. He felt his shoulder drop as she tugged again, he laughed some and patted her head. Sarah stared up at him, big ol' grin and wide eyes. He could remember the way her laugh sounded, all heart and soul and too good for this world.

"Hold on, kiddo," Joel stepped forward as the line moved "We're up next. We ain't gonna miss the movie."

"Promise?" Sarah eyed the candy, fingers under her chin as if she were admiring the royal jewels.

"Promise."

Joel looked up and they were next up to the counter. They both moved up, and Joel had already taken out his wallet. The cashier smiled, name tag had been something that started with a T. He remembered the smile though, the way it met those eyes. But he was there for Sarah, and he had nodded and shifted to another thought.

Tommy had said he'd come with them but backed out last moment. Something about needing to work out a few things at home, or maybe it had been work--something was going on in his baby brother's life that Joel just hadn't understood. He had considered bringing it up at dinner one night but Tommy had gone on and on about the hospital getting a flux of patients in the last few weeks. Tommy had been concerned enough to tell Sarah to be careful at school, to keep some Kleenex on hand and wash her hands and shit like that. Joel had never taken his brother for the health advocate sort.

"Two sodas, large, please. Thanks." Joel paid with cash.

And one popcorn later, the duo had headed down the hall to find the room they'd be in. Sarah happily munched on popcorn the entire way, as Joel carried the sodas in hand. He had heard a soft hum buzz from the teenager, all light and free. He glanced at Sarah for a moment or two before he eyed the signs on the wall. There it had been--Dawn of the Wolf. Part II, that was important, according to Sarah.

"Dad, look!" Sarah pointed at the sign, "It's the movie."

"Yeah, I see, kiddo." He grinned back.

The door swung open and they hurried on in, found a nice set of seats. Which Joel remembered, because they were one of the nicest seats he had experienced in months prior. His back sure didn't ache when they sat down, popcorn in his child's arms and the sodas in a holder on their seats. Sarah had slouched in her seat, had shoved about five pieces of popcorn in her mouth before she sat up more, wiggled around in her seat to get comfortable. He saw her grin never faded though, it was stuck on her face and that was the image he wanted to remember the most about her...in the beginning anyway.

"Are you ready, Dad?" Sarah bounced in her seat, grinning like a little devil.

Joel smiled, mostly to himself, mostly for her. But he rubbed his eyes briefly, hoped he wouldn't fall asleep when the lights went out.

"Yeah, baby girl." He shoved that yawn right back down his throat, no way in hell he was going to let Sarah think he was bored.

He eyed the screen, still showing fun fact quizzes for the audience to solve. He solved about two out of five before he eyed his kid again. Sarah was back to munching on popcorn, still bouncy and a big ol' grin still there on her face. He smiled more at that, glanced at his phone that was already on silent. Another missed call from Tommy, he lifted his head to look back at Sarah and slid the phone back into his pocket.

"So," Sarah began, another popcorn popped into her mouth "Do you think it'll be as good as the first one?"

"I dunno. What do you think?" Joel remained slouched in his seat.

"Well," Sarah began, taking on that chin in the air tone of hers whenever she was feeling spunky "I think it'll be the film of a lifetime."

Film of a lifetime, that sure as hell was a statement.

"Joel?"

His mind jogged and jolted to a standstill. He turned his head and Ellie stood beside another poster for that damn movie. She had her hands in front of her, tugged at her shirt and nodded to the poster. He lifted his gaze, eyed the embraced couple on the wall before he turned his head away, turned away. He would never be let go by that damn thing, would he? But Ellie grinned when he looked back.

"What is it?" Joel asked, heavy with exhaustion.

He rubbed his eyes with the backs of his palm before he patted his pocket. Oh, right...no cell phone. No calls from Tommy.

"You know that movie?"

"Dawn of the Wolf?" Joel already knew.

"Yeah, that one!" Ellie looked back at the poster on the wall.

"What about it, kiddo?" Joel's lips tugged.

It was a halfhearted gesture from being lost in the moment.

"I bet," Ellie nodded, as if it weren't up for argument--not that he'd even try to, "the werewolf would have totally gutted her in part three."

Joel rolled his eyes so far back he could see the back of his head. The kid looked damned proud of herself, all chin in the air and chest puffed out. He could have dismissed it, could have ignored it. But that wasn't Joel back in Boston, this was Joel out in the middle of nowhere. Joel would have to show the kid a The Bash poster, if he could find one.


End file.
